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Metabolomic and Mitochondrial Fingerprinting of the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Non-Tumorigenic and Tumorigenic Human Breast Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246214. [PMID: 36551699 PMCID: PMC9776482 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is key to tumor aggressiveness, therapy resistance, and immune escape in breast cancer. Because metabolic traits might be involved along the EMT continuum, we investigated whether human breast epithelial cells engineered to stably acquire a mesenchymal phenotype in non-tumorigenic and H-RasV12-driven tumorigenic backgrounds possess unique metabolic fingerprints. We profiled mitochondrial-cytosolic bioenergetic and one-carbon (1C) metabolites by metabolomic analysis, and then questioned the utilization of different mitochondrial substrates by EMT mitochondria and their sensitivity to mitochondria-centered inhibitors. "Upper" and "lower" glycolysis were the preferred glucose fluxes activated by EMT in non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic backgrounds, respectively. EMT in non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic backgrounds could be distinguished by the differential contribution of the homocysteine-methionine 1C cycle to the transsulfuration pathway. Both non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic EMT-activated cells showed elevated mitochondrial utilization of glycolysis end-products such as lactic acid, β-oxidation substrates including palmitoyl-carnitine, and tricarboxylic acid pathway substrates such as succinic acid. Notably, mitochondria in tumorigenic EMT cells distinctively exhibited a significant alteration in the electron flow intensity from succinate to mitochondrial complex III as they were highly refractory to the inhibitory effects of antimycin A and myxothiazol. Our results show that the bioenergetic/1C metabolic signature, the utilization rates of preferred mitochondrial substrates, and sensitivity to mitochondrial drugs significantly differs upon execution of EMT in non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic backgrounds, which could help to resolve the relationship between EMT, malignancy, and therapeutic resistance in breast cancer.
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2
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Abstract
The mechanistic target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is the central regulator of cell growth and proliferation by integrating growth factor and nutrient availability. Under healthy physiological conditions, this process is tightly coordinated and essential to maintain whole-body homeostasis. Not surprisingly, dysregulated mTOR signaling underpins several diseases with increasing incidence worldwide, including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Consequently, there is significant clinical interest in developing therapeutic strategies that effectively target this pathway. The transition of mTOR inhibitors from the bench to bedside, however, has largely been marked with challenges and shortcomings, such as the development of therapy resistance and adverse side effects in patients. In this review, we discuss the current status of first-, second-, and third-generation mTOR inhibitors as a cancer therapy in both preclinical and clinical settings, with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms of drug resistance. We focus especially on the emerging role of diet as an important environmental determinant of therapy response, and posit a conceptual framework that links nutrient availability and whole-body metabolic states such as obesity with many of the previously defined processes that drive resistance to mTOR-targeted therapies. Given the role of mTOR as a central integrator of cell metabolism and function, we propose that modulating nutrient inputs through dietary interventions may influence the signaling dynamics of this pathway and compensatory nodes. In doing so, new opportunities for exploiting diet/drug synergies are highlighted that may unlock the therapeutic potential of mTOR inhibitors as a cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikos Koundouros
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021,USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Correspondence: Nikos Koundouros, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, New York, NY, 10021 USA.
| | - John Blenis
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021,USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Correspondence: John Blenis, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, New York, NY, 10021 USA.
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3
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Metformin and Breast Cancer: Where Are We Now? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052705. [PMID: 35269852 PMCID: PMC8910543 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Type 2 diabetes–associated metabolic traits such as hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, and obesity are well-known risk factors for breast cancer. The insulin sensitizer metformin, one of the most prescribed oral antidiabetic drugs, has been suggested to function as an antitumoral agent, based on epidemiological and retrospective clinical data as well as preclinical studies showing an antiproliferative effect in cultured breast cancer cells and animal models. These benefits provided a strong rationale to study the effects of metformin in routine clinical care of breast cancer patients. However, the initial enthusiasm was tempered after disappointing results in randomized controlled trials, particularly in the metastatic setting. Here, we revisit the current state of the art of metformin mechanisms of action, critically review past and current metformin-based clinical trials, and briefly discuss future perspectives on how to incorporate metformin into the oncologist’s armamentarium for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
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4
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Choubey P, Kaur H, Bansal K. Modulation of DNA/RNA Methylation Signaling Mediating Metabolic Homeostasis in Cancer. Subcell Biochem 2022; 100:201-237. [PMID: 36301496 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07634-3_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid methylation is a fundamental epigenetic mechanism that impinges upon several cellular attributes, including metabolism and energy production. The dysregulation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/ribonucleic acid (RNA) methylation can lead to metabolic rewiring in the cell, which in turn facilitates tumor development. Here, we review the current knowledge on the interplay between DNA/RNA methylation and metabolic programs in cancer cells. We also discuss the mechanistic role of these pathways in tumor development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallawi Choubey
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit (MBGU), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bangalore, India
| | - Harshdeep Kaur
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit (MBGU), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bangalore, India
| | - Kushagra Bansal
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit (MBGU), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bangalore, India.
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5
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Wolf J, Dong C, O'Day EM. Metabolite Biomarkers of Response (BoRs): Towards a fingerprint for the evolution of metastatic breast cancer. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 165:8-18. [PMID: 34419530 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and despite improved treatment strategies, it persists as the second leading cause of death of women globally. Overall prognosis drops drastically once the cancer has metastasized, which is also associated with resistance to therapy. The evolution from a localized breast cancer to metastatic disease is complex and multifactorial. Metabolic reprogramming is a pre-requisite for this transition. In this graphical review, we provide an overview of altered metabolic pathways observed in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) and detail how metabolite biomarkers could serve as a novel class of precision medicine tools to improve the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of mBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chen Dong
- Olaris, Inc, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
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6
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Penkert J, Märtens A, Seifert M, Auber B, Derlin K, Hille-Betz U, Hörmann P, Klopp N, Prokein J, Schlicker L, Wacker F, Wallaschek H, Schlegelberger B, Hiller K, Ripperger T, Illig T. Plasma Metabolome Signature Indicative of BRCA1 Germline Status Independent of Cancer Incidence. Front Oncol 2021; 11:627217. [PMID: 33898308 PMCID: PMC8058469 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.627217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals carrying a pathogenic germline variant in the breast cancer predisposition gene BRCA1 (gBRCA1+) are prone to developing breast cancer. Apart from its well-known role in DNA repair, BRCA1 has been shown to powerfully impact cellular metabolism. While, in general, metabolic reprogramming was named a hallmark of cancer, disrupted metabolism has also been suggested to drive cancer cell evolution and malignant transformation by critically altering microenvironmental tissue integrity. Systemic metabolic effects induced by germline variants in cancer predisposition genes have been demonstrated before. Whether or not systemic metabolic alterations exist in gBRCA1+ individuals independent of cancer incidence has not been investigated yet. We therefore profiled the plasma metabolome of 72 gBRCA1+ women and 72 age-matched female controls, none of whom (carriers and non-carriers) had a prior cancer diagnosis and all of whom were cancer-free during the follow-up period. We detected one single metabolite, pyruvate, and two metabolite ratios involving pyruvate, lactate, and a metabolite of yet unknown structure, significantly altered between the two cohorts. A machine learning signature of metabolite ratios was able to correctly distinguish between gBRCA1+ and controls in ~82%. The results of this study point to innate systemic metabolic differences in gBRCA1+ women independent of cancer incidence and raise the question as to whether or not constitutional alterations in energy metabolism may be involved in the etiology of BRCA1-associated breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Penkert
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andre Märtens
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Bernd Auber
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katja Derlin
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ursula Hille-Betz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Philipp Hörmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Norman Klopp
- Hannover Unified Biobank (HUB), Hannover, Germany
| | - Jana Prokein
- Center for Information Management, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lisa Schlicker
- Division of Tumour Metabolism and Microenvironment, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Wacker
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hannah Wallaschek
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Karsten Hiller
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Computational Biology of Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tim Ripperger
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Illig
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Hannover Unified Biobank (HUB), Hannover, Germany
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7
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Naik A, Decock J. Lactate Metabolism and Immune Modulation in Breast Cancer: A Focused Review on Triple Negative Breast Tumors. Front Oncol 2020; 10:598626. [PMID: 33324565 PMCID: PMC7725706 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.598626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer associated with poor prognosis, early recurrence, and the lack of durable chemotherapy responses and specific targeted treatments. The recent FDA approval for immune checkpoint inhibition in combination with nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic TNBC created opportunity to advocate for immunotherapy in TNBC patients. However, improving the current low response rates is vital. Most cancers, including TNBC tumors, display metabolic plasticity and undergo reprogramming into highly glycolytic tumors through the Warburg effect. Consequently, accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate and extracellular acidification is often observed in several solid tumors, thereby exacerbating tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. In this review, we focus on the role of lactate acidosis in the microenvironment of glycolytic breast tumors as a major driver for immune evasion with a special emphasis on TNBCs. In particular, we will discuss the role of lactate regulators such as glucose transporters, lactate dehydrogenases, and lactate transporters in modulating immune functionality and checkpoint expression in numerous immune cell types. This review aims to spark discussion on interventions targeting lactate acidosis in combination with immunotherapy to provide an effective means of improving response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC, in addition to highlighting challenges that may arise from TNBC tumor heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adviti Naik
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
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Jones VC, Dietze EC, Jovanovic-Talisman T, McCune JS, Seewaldt VL. Metformin and Chemoprevention: Potential for Heart-Healthy Targeting of Biologically Aggressive Breast Cancer. Front Public Health 2020; 8:509714. [PMID: 33194937 PMCID: PMC7658387 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.509714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, tamoxifen is the only drug approved for reduction of breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. The significant cardiovascular side effects of tamoxifen, coupled with lack of a survival benefit, potential for genotoxicity, and failure to provide a significant risk-reduction for estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, all contribute to the low acceptance of tamoxifen chemoprevention in premenopausal women at high-risk for breast cancer. While other prevention options exist for postmenopausal women, there is a search for well-tolerated prevention agents that can simultaneously reduce risk of breast cancers, cardiovascular disease, and type-2 diabetes. Metformin is a well-tolerated oral biguanide hypoglycemic agent that is prescribed worldwide to over 120 million individuals with type-2 diabetes. Metformin is inexpensive, safe during pregnancy, and the combination of metformin, healthy lifestyle, and exercise has been shown to be effective in preventing diabetes. There is a growing awareness that prevention drugs and interventions should make the “whole woman healthy.” To this end, current efforts have focused on finding low toxicity alternatives, particularly repurposed drugs for chemoprevention of breast cancer, including metformin. Metformin's mechanisms of actions are complex but clearly involve secondary lowering of circulating insulin. Signaling pathways activated by insulin also drive biologically aggressive breast cancer and predict poor survival in women with breast cancer. The mechanistic rationale for metformin chemoprevention is well-supported by the scientific literature. Metformin is cheap, safe during pregnancy, and has the potential to provide heart-healthy breast cancer prevention. On-going primary and secondary prevention trials will provide evidence whether metformin is effective in preventing breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica C Jones
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Eric C Dietze
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
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Tobias DK, Hazra A, Lawler PR, Chandler PD, Chasman DI, Buring JE, Lee IM, Cheng S, Manson JE, Mora S. Circulating branched-chain amino acids and long-term risk of obesity-related cancers in women. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16534. [PMID: 33024201 PMCID: PMC7539150 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73499-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a risk factor for > 13 cancer sites, although it is unknown whether there is a common mechanism across sites. Evidence suggests a role for impaired branched-chain amino acid (BCAAs; isoleucine, leucine, valine) metabolism in obesity, insulin resistance, and immunity; thus, we hypothesized circulating BCAAs may be associated with incident obesity-related cancers. We analyzed participants in the prospective Women’s Health Study without a history of cancer at baseline blood collection (N = 26,711, mean age = 54.6 years [SD = 7.1]). BCAAs were quantified via NMR spectroscopy, log-transformed, and standardized. We used Cox proportional regression models adjusted for age, race, smoking, diet, alcohol, physical activity, menopausal hormone use, Body Mass Index (BMI), diabetes, and other risk factors. The endpoint was a composite of obesity-related cancers, defined per the International Agency for Research on Cancer 2016 report, over a median 24 years follow-up. Baseline BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 compared with BMI 18.5–25.0 kg/m2 was associated with 23% greater risk of obesity-related cancers (n = 2751 events; multivariable HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11–1.37). However, BCAAs were not associated with obesity-related cancers (multivariable HR per SD = 1.01 [0.97–1.05]). Results for individual BCAA metabolites suggested a modest association for leucine with obesity-related cancers (1.04 [1.00–1.08]), and no association for isoleucine or valine (0.99 [0.95–1.03] and 1.00 [0.96–1.04], respectively). Exploratory analyses of BCAAs with individual sites included positive associations between leucine and postmenopausal breast cancer, and isoleucine with pancreatic cancer. Total circulating BCAAs were unrelated to obesity-related cancer incidence although an association was observed for leucine with incident obesity-related cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre K Tobias
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Aditi Hazra
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Patrick R Lawler
- Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, and Heart and Stroke Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paulette D Chandler
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Daniel I Chasman
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Julie E Buring
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - I-Min Lee
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan Cheng
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Lipid Metabolomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center and Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - JoAnn E Manson
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samia Mora
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Lipid Metabolomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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PFKP is transcriptionally repressed by BRCA1/ZBRK1 and predicts prognosis in breast cancer. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233750. [PMID: 32470015 PMCID: PMC7259711 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The present study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism how PFKP is regulated by BRCA1 and the clinical significance of PFKP in breast cancer. Methods MEF-BRCA1△/△ and the wild type counterpart MEF-BRCA1+/+ cell lines were used to test the sensitivity of glucose depletion in culture medium. Glucose Assay Kit was used to quantify glucose levels in cultural supernatant and cell lysate. Real time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of genes. Western blot was used to detect protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to verify the bindings between transcription factors and DNA elements. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the transcriptional activity. Histochemistry assay was performed on tissue microarray. Results We found that MEF-BRCA1△/△ cells consumed more glucose and were more vulnerable to glucose-deprived culture medium. The mRNA profiles and qPCR assay of MEF-BRCA1△/△ and MEF-BRCA1+/+ cells revealed that PFKP, the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, was significantly upregulated in MEF-BRCA1△/△ cells. Consistently, the repressive effects of BRCA1 on PFKP were confirmed by overexpression or knockdown of BRCA1. Moreover, we also demonstrated that PFKP was suppressed by ZBRK1 as well, which was the co-repression partner of BRCA1. Mechanistically, we figured out that BRCA1 formed a transcriptional repression complex with ZBRK1 on the promoter of PFKP and consequently restrained its expression. Importantly, the expression levels of PFKP were demonstrated to associate with poor survival of patients with breast cancer. Conclusion Our study provided a new insight into the dysregulation of glycolysis in breast cancer, which might be partially due to the deficiency of BRCA1/ZBRK1 axis and subsequently reversed the transcriptional repressive effect on PFKP. We also found that PFKP overexpressed in a subset of breast cancer patients and could serve as a prognostic factor, which represented a potential target for BC therapy.
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Lahiguera Á, Hyroššová P, Figueras A, Garzón D, Moreno R, Soto-Cerrato V, McNeish I, Serra V, Lazaro C, Barretina P, Brunet J, Menéndez J, Matias-Guiu X, Vidal A, Villanueva A, Taylor-Harding B, Tanaka H, Orsulic S, Junza A, Yanes O, Muñoz-Pinedo C, Palomero L, Pujana MÀ, Perales JC, Viñals F. Tumors defective in homologous recombination rely on oxidative metabolism: relevance to treatments with PARP inhibitors. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e11217. [PMID: 32400970 PMCID: PMC7278557 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201911217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial metabolism and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the acquisition of DNA mutations and genomic instability in cancer. How genomic instability influences the metabolic capacity of cancer cells is nevertheless poorly understood. Here, we show that homologous recombination‐defective (HRD) cancers rely on oxidative metabolism to supply NAD+ and ATP for poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP)‐dependent DNA repair mechanisms. Studies in breast and ovarian cancer HRD models depict a metabolic shift that includes enhanced expression of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway and its key components and a decline in the glycolytic Warburg phenotype. Hence, HRD cells are more sensitive to metformin and NAD+ concentration changes. On the other hand, shifting from an OXPHOS to a highly glycolytic metabolism interferes with the sensitivity to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in these HRD cells. This feature is associated with a weak response to PARP inhibition in patient‐derived xenografts, emerging as a new mechanism to determine PARPi sensitivity. This study shows a mechanistic link between two major cancer hallmarks, which in turn suggests novel possibilities for specifically treating HRD cancers with OXPHOS inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Lahiguera
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Petra Hyroššová
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agnès Figueras
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diana Garzón
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Moreno
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanessa Soto-Cerrato
- Departament de Patologia i Terapèutica Experimental, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iain McNeish
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Violeta Serra
- Experimental Therapeutics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Conxi Lazaro
- Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Hereditary Cancer Program, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Barretina
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia, IDIBGI, Girona, Spain
| | - Joan Brunet
- CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Hereditary Cancer Program, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Hereditary Cancer Program, Institut Català d'Oncologia, IDIBGI, Girona, Spain.,Medical Sciences Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Javier Menéndez
- Program against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Xavier Matias-Guiu
- Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Servei d'Anatomia Patològica, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - August Vidal
- Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Patologia i Terapèutica Experimental, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Servei d'Anatomia Patològica, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Xenopat, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga S/N, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Villanueva
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Xenopat, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga S/N, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Hisashi Tanaka
- Womens Cancer Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sandra Orsulic
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexandra Junza
- Metabolomics Platform, Department of Electronic Engineering (DEEEA), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Yanes
- Metabolomics Platform, Department of Electronic Engineering (DEEEA), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Muñoz-Pinedo
- Cell Death Regulation Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luís Palomero
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Àngel Pujana
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Carlos Perales
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Viñals
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Oncobell Program, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Seyfried TN, Mukherjee P, Iyikesici MS, Slocum A, Kalamian M, Spinosa JP, Chinopoulos C. Consideration of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy as a Complementary or Alternative Approach for Managing Breast Cancer. Front Nutr 2020; 7:21. [PMID: 32219096 PMCID: PMC7078107 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer remains as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in women. Ultrastructural and biochemical evidence from breast biopsy tissue and cancer cells shows mitochondrial abnormalities that are incompatible with energy production through oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). Consequently, breast cancer, like most cancers, will become more reliant on substrate level phosphorylation (fermentation) than on oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) for growth consistent with the mitochondrial metabolic theory of cancer. Glucose and glutamine are the prime fermentable fuels that underlie therapy resistance and drive breast cancer growth through substrate level phosphorylation (SLP) in both the cytoplasm (Warburg effect) and the mitochondria (Q-effect), respectively. Emerging evidence indicates that ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) can reduce glucose availability to tumor cells while simultaneously elevating ketone bodies, a non-fermentable metabolic fuel. It is suggested that KMT would be most effective when used together with glutamine targeting. Information is reviewed for suggesting how KMT could reduce systemic inflammation and target tumor cells without causing damage to normal cells. Implementation of KMT in the clinic could improve progression free and overall survival for patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Purna Mukherjee
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Mehmet S. Iyikesici
- Medical Oncology, Kemerburgaz University Bahcelievler Medical Park Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Abdul Slocum
- Medical Oncology, Chemo Thermia Oncology Center, Istanbul, Turkey
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13
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Gandhi N, Das GM. Metabolic Reprogramming in Breast Cancer and Its Therapeutic Implications. Cells 2019; 8:cells8020089. [PMID: 30691108 PMCID: PMC6406734 DOI: 10.3390/cells8020089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Current standard-of-care (SOC) therapy for breast cancer includes targeted therapies such as endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) positive; anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-enriched; and general chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes. These therapies frequently fail due to acquired or inherent resistance. Altered metabolism has been recognized as one of the major mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance. There are several cues that dictate metabolic reprogramming that also account for the tumors’ metabolic plasticity. For metabolic therapy to be efficacious there is a need to understand the metabolic underpinnings of the different subtypes of breast cancer as well as the role the SOC treatments play in targeting the metabolic phenotype. Understanding the mechanism will allow us to identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities. There are some very interesting questions being tackled by researchers today as they pertain to altered metabolism in breast cancer. What are the metabolic differences between the different subtypes of breast cancer? Do cancer cells have a metabolic pathway preference based on the site and stage of metastasis? How do the cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic cues dictate the metabolic phenotype? How do the nucleus and mitochondria coordinately regulate metabolism? How does sensitivity or resistance to SOC affect metabolic reprogramming and vice-versa? This review addresses these issues along with the latest updates in the field of breast cancer metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishant Gandhi
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Genetics & Pharmacology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
| | - Gokul M Das
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Genetics & Pharmacology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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14
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Yeo SK, Paul R, Haas M, Wang C, Guan JL. Improved efficacy of mitochondrial disrupting agents upon inhibition of autophagy in a mouse model of BRCA1-deficient breast cancer. Autophagy 2018; 14:1214-1225. [PMID: 29938573 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2018.1460010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and stratification of patients is fundamental to the success of treatment modalities. Breast tumors deficient in BRCA1 are mostly associated with basal-like breast cancers and targeted therapeutics for this disease subtype are still lacking. In order to address whether macroautophagy/autophagy inhibition will be effective in BRCA1-deficient mammary tumors, we generated mice with conditional deletion of an essential autophagy gene, Rb1cc1, along with Brca1 and Trp53, through utilization of the K14-Cre transgene. We found that Rb1cc1 deletion suppressed tumorigenesis in the BRCA1-deficient model when compared to wild type and heterozygous Rb1cc1 controls. However, in contrast to previous studies in the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-polyoma middle T antigen (PyMT) model, tumor growth and the distribution of histological subtypes were not affected by loss of RB1CC1. Interestingly, loss of RB1CC1 decreased mitochondrial mass and oxidative respiratory capacity of these tumor cells, along with a decrease in the phosphorylation of MTOR substrates and transcript levels of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis. Importantly, we observed an increased sensitivity to mitochondrial disrupting agents upon loss of RB1CC1. Consequently, our data showed that combination of an autophagy inhibitor, spautin-1, along with a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, metformin, was more effective in limiting oxidative respiratory capacity, colony-forming ability and tumor growth. Altogether, our results indicate that inhibition of autophagy can increase the benefits of metformin treatment in BRCA1-deficient breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syn Kok Yeo
- a Department of Cancer Biology , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Ritama Paul
- a Department of Cancer Biology , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Michael Haas
- a Department of Cancer Biology , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Chenran Wang
- a Department of Cancer Biology , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Jun-Lin Guan
- a Department of Cancer Biology , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA
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15
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Cuyàs E, Corominas-Faja B, Martín MMS, Martin-Castillo B, Lupu R, Brunet J, Bosch-Barrera J, Menendez JA. BRCA1 haploinsufficiency cell-autonomously activates RANKL expression and generates denosumab-responsive breast cancer-initiating cells. Oncotarget 2018; 8:35019-35032. [PMID: 28388533 PMCID: PMC5471031 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Denosumab, a monoclonal antibody to the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), might be a novel preventative therapy for BRCA1-mutation carriers at high risk of developing breast cancer. Beyond its well-recognized bone-targeted activity impeding osteoclastogenesis, denosumab has been proposed to interfere with the cross-talk between RANKL-producing sensor cells and cancer-initiating RANK+ responder cells that reside within premalignant tissues of BRCA1-mutation carriers. We herein tested the alternative but not mutually exclusive hypothesis that BRCA1 deficiency might cell-autonomously activate RANKL expression to generate cellular states with cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties. Using isogenic pairs of normal-like human breast epithelial cells in which the inactivation of a single BRCA1 allele results in genomic instability, we assessed the impact of BRCA1 haploinsufficiency on the expression status of RANK and RANKL. RANK expression remained unaltered but RANKL was dramatically up-regulated in BRCA1mut/+ haploinsufficient cells relative to isogenic BRCA1+/+ parental cells. Neutralizing RANKL with denosumab significantly abrogated the ability of BRCA1 haploinsufficient cells to survive and proliferate as floating microtumors or "mammospheres" under non-adherent/non-differentiating conditions, an accepted surrogate of the relative proportion and survival of CSCs. Intriguingly, CSC-like states driven by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or HER2 overexpression traits responded to some extent to denosumab. We propose that breast epithelium-specific mono-allelic inactivation of BRCA1 might suffice to cell-autonomously generate RANKL-addicted, denosumab-responsive CSC-like states. The convergent addiction to a hyperactive RANKL/RANK axis of CSC-like states from genetically diverse breast cancer subtypes might inaugurate a new era of cancer prevention and treatment based on denosumab as a CSC-targeted agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Cuyàs
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.,Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Bruna Corominas-Faja
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.,Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - María Muñoz-San Martín
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Begoña Martin-Castillo
- Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain.,Unit of Clinical Research, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ruth Lupu
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, Rochester, MN, USA.,Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Joan Brunet
- Deparment of Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.,Department of Medical Sciences, Medical School, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Bosch-Barrera
- Deparment of Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.,Department of Medical Sciences, Medical School, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Javier A Menendez
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.,Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
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16
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Turgeon MO, Perry NJS, Poulogiannis G. DNA Damage, Repair, and Cancer Metabolism. Front Oncol 2018; 8:15. [PMID: 29459886 PMCID: PMC5807667 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there has been a renewed interest in the field of cancer metabolism in the last decade, the link between metabolism and DNA damage/DNA repair in cancer has yet to be appreciably explored. In this review, we examine the evidence connecting DNA damage and repair mechanisms with cell metabolism through three principal links. (1) Regulation of methyl- and acetyl-group donors through different metabolic pathways can impact DNA folding and remodeling, an essential part of accurate double strand break repair. (2) Glutamine, aspartate, and other nutrients are essential for de novo nucleotide synthesis, which dictates the availability of the nucleotide pool, and thereby influences DNA repair and replication. (3) Reactive oxygen species, which can increase oxidative DNA damage and hence the load of the DNA-repair machinery, are regulated through different metabolic pathways. Interestingly, while metabolism affects DNA repair, DNA damage can also induce metabolic rewiring. Activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) triggers an increase in nucleotide synthesis and anabolic glucose metabolism, while also reducing glutamine anaplerosis. Furthermore, mutations in genes involved in the DDR and DNA repair also lead to metabolic rewiring. Links between cancer metabolism and DNA damage/DNA repair are increasingly apparent, yielding opportunities to investigate the mechanistic basis behind potential metabolic vulnerabilities of a substantial fraction of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Olivier Turgeon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J S Perry
- Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - George Poulogiannis
- Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom.,Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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17
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current review aims to provide an update on the recent biomedical interest in oncogenic branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism, and discusses the advantages of using BCAAs and expression of BCAA-related enzymes in the treatment and diagnosis of cancers. RECENT FINDINGS An accumulating body of evidence demonstrates that BCAAs are essential nutrients for cancer growth and are used by tumors in various biosynthetic pathways and as a source of energy. In addition, BCAA metabolic enzymes, such as the cytosolic branched-chain aminotransferase 1 (BCAT1) and mitochondrial branched-chain aminotransferase 2, have emerged as useful prognostic cancer markers. BCAT1 expression commonly correlates with more aggressive cancer growth and progression, and has attracted substantial scientific attention in the past few years. These studies have found the consequences of BCAT1 disruption to be heterogeneous; not all cancers share the same requirements for BCAA metabolites and the function of BCAT1 appears to vary between cancer types. SUMMARY Both oncogenic mutations and cancer tissue-of-origin influence BCAA metabolism and expression of BCAA-associated metabolic enzymes. These new discoveries need to be taken into consideration during the development of new cancer therapies that target BCAA metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elitsa A. Ananieva
- Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa
| | - Adam C. Wilkinson
- Department of Genetics, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, Stanford, California, USA
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18
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Riera-Borrull M, García-Heredia A, Fernández-Arroyo S, Hernández-Aguilera A, Cabré N, Cuyàs E, Luciano-Mateo F, Camps J, Menendez JA, Joven J. Metformin Potentiates the Benefits of Dietary Restraint: A Metabolomic Study. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18112263. [PMID: 29143783 PMCID: PMC5713233 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention of the metabolic consequences of a chronic energy-dense/high-fat diet (HFD) represents a public health priority. Metformin is a strong candidate to be incorporated in alternative therapeutic approaches. We used a targeted metabolomic approach to assess changes related to the multi-faceted metabolic disturbances provoked by HFD. We evaluated the protective effects of metformin and explored how pro-inflammatory and metabolic changes respond when mice rendered obese, glucose-intolerant and hyperlipidemic were switched to diet reversal with or without metformin. Mice treated with metformin and diet-reversal showed a dramatically improved protection against HFD-induced hepatic steatosis, a beneficial effect that was accompanied by a lowering of liver-infiltrating pro-inflammatory macrophages and lower release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Metformin combined with diet reversal promoted effective weight loss along with better glucose control, lowered levels of circulating cholesterol and triglycerides, and reduced adipose tissue content. Our findings underscored the ability of metformin to target the contribution of branched chain amino acids to adipose tissue metabolism while suppressing mitochondrial-dependent biosynthesis in hepatic tissue. The relationship between adipose tissue and liver might provide clinical potential for combining metformin and dietary modifications to protect against the metabolic damage occurring upon excessive dietary fat intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Riera-Borrull
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Anabel García-Heredia
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
| | - Salvador Fernández-Arroyo
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
- Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Insitiute (IDIBGI), 17190 Girona, Spain.
| | - Anna Hernández-Aguilera
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
| | - Noemí Cabré
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
| | - Elisabet Cuyàs
- Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Insitiute (IDIBGI), 17190 Girona, Spain.
- ProCURE (Program against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, 17190 Girona, Spain.
| | - Fedra Luciano-Mateo
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
| | - Jordi Camps
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
| | - Javier A Menendez
- Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Insitiute (IDIBGI), 17190 Girona, Spain.
- ProCURE (Program against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, 17190 Girona, Spain.
| | - Jorge Joven
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
- The Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia, 43003 Tarragona, Spain.
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19
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Metformin regulates global DNA methylation via mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism. Oncogene 2017; 37:963-970. [PMID: 29059169 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The anti-diabetic biguanide metformin may exert health-promoting effects via metabolic regulation of the epigenome. Here we show that metformin promotes global DNA methylation in non-cancerous, cancer-prone and metastatic cancer cells by decreasing S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), a strong feedback inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent DNA methyltransferases, while promoting the accumulation of SAM, the universal methyl donor for cellular methylation. Using metformin and a mitochondria/complex I (mCI)-targeted analog of metformin (norMitoMet) in experimental pairs of wild-type and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-, serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2)- and mCI-null cells, we provide evidence that metformin increases the SAM:SAH ratio-related methylation capacity by targeting the coupling between serine mitochondrial one-carbon flux and CI activity. By increasing the contribution of one-carbon units to the SAM from folate stores while decreasing SAH in response to AMPK-sensed energetic crisis, metformin can operate as a metabolo-epigenetic regulator capable of reprogramming one of the key conduits linking cellular metabolism to the DNA methylation machinery.
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20
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Menendez JA, Lupu R. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) as a therapeutic target in breast cancer. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:1001-1016. [PMID: 28922023 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1381087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ten years ago, we put forward the metabolo-oncogenic nature of fatty acid synthase (FASN) in breast cancer. Since the conception of this hypothesis, which provided a model to explain how FASN is intertwined with various signaling networks to cell-autonomously regulate breast cancer initiation and progression, FASN has received considerable attention as a therapeutic target. However, despite the ever-growing evidence demonstrating the involvement of FASN as part of the cancer-associated metabolic reprogramming, translation of the basic science-discovery aspects of FASN blockade to the clinical arena remains a challenge. Areas covered: Ten years later, we herein review the preclinical lessons learned from the pharmaceutical liabilities of the first generation of FASN inhibitors. We provide an updated view of the current development and clinical testing of next generation FASN-targeted drugs. We also discuss new clinico-molecular approaches that should help us to convert roadblocks into roadways that will propel forward our therapeutic understanding of FASN. Expert opinion: With the recent demonstration of target engagement and early signs of clinical activity with the first orally available, selective, potent and reversible FASN inhibitor, we can expect Big pharma to revitalize their interest in lipogenic enzymes as well-credentialed targets for oncology drug development in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier A Menendez
- a ProCURE (Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance) , Metabolism & Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology , Girona , Spain.,b Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) , Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià , Girona , Spain
| | - Ruth Lupu
- c Department of Medicine and Experimental Pathology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.,d Mayo Clinic Cancer Center , Rochester , MN , USA
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21
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Schneider SS, Henchey EM, Sultana N, Morin SM, Jerry DJ, Makari-Judson G, Crisi GM, Arenas RB, Johnson M, Mason HS, Yadava N. Individual-specific variation in the respiratory activities of HMECs and their bioenergetic response to IGF1 and TNFα. J Cell Physiol 2017; 232:2750-2765. [PMID: 28369883 PMCID: PMC5518214 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprograming is a hallmark of cancer cells. However, the roles of pre‐existing differences in normal cells metabolism toward cancer risk is not known. In order to assess pre‐existing variations in normal cell metabolism, we have quantified the inter‐individual variation in oxidative metabolism of normal primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). We then assessed their response to selected cytokines such as insulin growth factor 1 (IGF1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), which are associated with breast cancer risk. Specifically, we compared the oxidative metabolism of HMECs obtained from women with breast cancer and without cancer. Our data show considerable inter‐individual variation in respiratory activities of HMECs from different women. A bioenergetic parameter called pyruvate‐stimulated respiration (PySR) was identified as a key distinguishing feature of HMECs from women with breast cancer and without cancer. Samples showing PySR over 20% of basal respiration rate were considered PySR+ve and the rest as PySR−ve. By this criterion, HMECs from tumor‐affected breasts (AB) and non‐tumor affected breasts (NAB) of cancer patients were mostly PySR−ve (88% and 89%, respectively), while HMECs from non‐cancer patients were mostly PySR+ve (57%). This suggests that PySR−ve/+ve phenotypes are individual‐specific and are not caused by field effects due to the presence of tumor. The effects of IGF1 and TNFα treatments on HMECs revealed that both suppressed respiration and extracellular acidification. In addition, IGF1 altered PySR−ve/+ve phenotypes. These results reveal individual‐specific differences in pyruvate metabolism of normal breast epithelial cells and its association with breast cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sallie S Schneider
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), Springfield, Massachusetts.,Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | | | - Nazneen Sultana
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - Stephanie M Morin
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - D Joseph Jerry
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), Springfield, Massachusetts.,Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Grace Makari-Judson
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine at Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - Giovanna M Crisi
- Division of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology at University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS)-Baystate Regional Campus, Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - Richard B Arenas
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery at University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS)-Baystate Regional Campus, Springfield, Massachusetts
| | | | - Holly S Mason
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery at University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS)-Baystate Regional Campus, Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - Nagendra Yadava
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), Springfield, Massachusetts.,Divisions of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine at Baystate Medical Center /Tufts University School of Medicine, Springfield, Massachusetts.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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22
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Cuyàs E, Martin-Castillo B, Bosch-Barrera J, Menendez JA. Metformin inhibits RANKL and sensitizes cancer stem cells to denosumab. Cell Cycle 2017; 16:1022-1028. [PMID: 28387573 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2017.1310353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The increased propensity of BRCA1 mutation carriers to develop aggressive breast tumors with stem-like properties begins to be understood in terms of osteoprotegerin (OPG)-unrestricted cross-talk between RANKL-overproducing progesterone-sensor cells and cancer-initiating RANK+ responder cells that reside within pre-malignant BRCA1mut/+ breast epithelial tissue. We recently proposed that, in the absence of hormone influence, cancer-initiating cells might remain responsive to RANKL stimulation, and hence to the therapeutic effects of the anti-RANKL antibody denosumab because genomic instability induced by BRCA1 haploinsufficiency might suffice to cell-autonomously hyperactivate RANKL gene expression. Here we report that the biguanide metformin prevents BRCA1 haploinsufficiency-driven RANKL gene overexpression, thereby disrupting an auto-regulatory feedback control of RANKL-addicted cancer stem cell-like states within BRCA1mut/- cell populations. Moreover, metformin treatment elicits a synergistic decline in the breast cancer-initiating cell population and its self-renewal capacity in BRCA1-mutated basal-like breast cancer cells with bone metastasis-initiation capacity that exhibit primary resistance to denosumab in mammosphere assays. The specific targeting of RANKL/RANK signaling with denosumab is expected to revolutionize prevention and treatment strategies currently available for BRCA1 mutation carriers. Our findings provide a rationale for new denosumab/metformin combinatorial strategies to clinically manage RANKL-related breast oncogenesis and metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Cuyàs
- a Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance(ProCURE) , Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology , Girona, Catalonia , Spain.,b Molecular Oncology Group , Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) , Girona , Spain
| | | | - Joaquim Bosch-Barrera
- d Deparment of Medical Oncology , Catalan Institute of Oncology , Girona, Catalonia , Spain.,e Department of Medical Sciences , Medical School, University of Girona , Girona , Spain
| | - Javier A Menendez
- a Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance(ProCURE) , Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology , Girona, Catalonia , Spain.,b Molecular Oncology Group , Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) , Girona , Spain
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23
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Chiyoda T, Hart PC, Eckert MA, McGregor SM, Lastra RR, Hamamoto R, Nakamura Y, Yamada SD, Olopade OI, Lengyel E, Romero IL. Loss of BRCA1 in the Cells of Origin of Ovarian Cancer Induces Glycolysis: A Window of Opportunity for Ovarian Cancer Chemoprevention. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2017; 10:255-266. [PMID: 28264838 PMCID: PMC5425093 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-16-0281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) are associated with an increased risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer. However, beyond the role of BRCA1 in DNA repair, little is known about other mechanisms by which BRCA1 impairment promotes carcinogenesis. Given that altered metabolism is now recognized as important in the initiation and progression of cancer, we asked whether the loss of BRCA1 changes metabolism in the cells of origin of ovarian cancer. The findings show that silencing BRCA1 in ovarian surface epithelial and fallopian tube cells increased glycolysis. Furthermore, when these cells were transfected with plasmids carrying deleterious BRCA1 mutations (5382insC or the P1749R), there was an increase in hexokinase-2 (HK2), a key glycolytic enzyme. This effect was mediated by MYC and the STAT3. To target the metabolic phenotype induced by loss of BRCA1, a drug-repurposing approach was used and aspirin was identified as an agent that counteracted the increase in HK2 and the increase in glycolysis induced by BRCA1 impairment. Evidence from this study indicates that the tumor suppressor functions of BRCA1 extend beyond DNA repair to include metabolic endpoints and identifies aspirin as an ovarian cancer chemopreventive agent capable of reversing the metabolic derangements caused by loss of BRCA1. Cancer Prev Res; 10(4); 255-66. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuyuki Chiyoda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Peter C Hart
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mark A Eckert
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Ricardo R Lastra
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ryuji Hamamoto
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Yusuke Nakamura
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - S Diane Yamada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Olufunmilayo I Olopade
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ernst Lengyel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Iris L Romero
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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24
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Spira A, Yurgelun MB, Alexandrov L, Rao A, Bejar R, Polyak K, Giannakis M, Shilatifard A, Finn OJ, Dhodapkar M, Kay NE, Braggio E, Vilar E, Mazzilli SA, Rebbeck TR, Garber JE, Velculescu VE, Disis ML, Wallace DC, Lippman SM. Precancer Atlas to Drive Precision Prevention Trials. Cancer Res 2017; 77:1510-1541. [PMID: 28373404 PMCID: PMC6681830 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-2346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer development is a complex process driven by inherited and acquired molecular and cellular alterations. Prevention is the holy grail of cancer elimination, but making this a reality will take a fundamental rethinking and deep understanding of premalignant biology. In this Perspective, we propose a national concerted effort to create a Precancer Atlas (PCA), integrating multi-omics and immunity - basic tenets of the neoplastic process. The biology of neoplasia caused by germline mutations has led to paradigm-changing precision prevention efforts, including: tumor testing for mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency in Lynch syndrome establishing a new paradigm, combinatorial chemoprevention efficacy in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), signal of benefit from imaging-based early detection research in high-germline risk for pancreatic neoplasia, elucidating early ontogeny in BRCA1-mutation carriers leading to an international breast cancer prevention trial, and insights into the intricate germline-somatic-immunity interaction landscape. Emerging genetic and pharmacologic (metformin) disruption of mitochondrial (mt) respiration increased autophagy to prevent cancer in a Li-Fraumeni mouse model (biology reproduced in clinical pilot) and revealed profound influences of subtle changes in mt DNA background variation on obesity, aging, and cancer risk. The elaborate communication between the immune system and neoplasia includes an increasingly complex cellular microenvironment and dynamic interactions between host genetics, environmental factors, and microbes in shaping the immune response. Cancer vaccines are in early murine and clinical precancer studies, building on the recent successes of immunotherapy and HPV vaccine immune prevention. Molecular monitoring in Barrett's esophagus to avoid overdiagnosis/treatment highlights an important PCA theme. Next generation sequencing (NGS) discovered age-related clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). Ultra-deep NGS reports over the past year have redefined the premalignant landscape remarkably identifying tiny clones in the blood of up to 95% of women in their 50s, suggesting that potentially premalignant clones are ubiquitous. Similar data from eyelid skin and peritoneal and uterine lavage fluid provide unprecedented opportunities to dissect the earliest phases of stem/progenitor clonal (and microenvironment) evolution/diversity with new single-cell and liquid biopsy technologies. Cancer mutational signatures reflect exogenous or endogenous processes imprinted over time in precursors. Accelerating the prevention of cancer will require a large-scale, longitudinal effort, leveraging diverse disciplines (from genetics, biochemistry, and immunology to mathematics, computational biology, and engineering), initiatives, technologies, and models in developing an integrated multi-omics and immunity PCA - an immense national resource to interrogate, target, and intercept events that drive oncogenesis. Cancer Res; 77(7); 1510-41. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avrum Spira
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Pathology and Bioinformatics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew B Yurgelun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ludmil Alexandrov
- Theoretical Division, Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
| | - Anjana Rao
- Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California
| | - Rafael Bejar
- Department of Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marios Giannakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ali Shilatifard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Olivera J Finn
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Madhav Dhodapkar
- Department of Hematology and Immunology, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Neil E Kay
- Department of Hematology, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Esteban Braggio
- Department of Hematology, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Eduardo Vilar
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sarah A Mazzilli
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Pathology and Bioinformatics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Timothy R Rebbeck
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Judy E Garber
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Victor E Velculescu
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Pathology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mary L Disis
- Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine in Women's Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Douglas C Wallace
- Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Scott M Lippman
- Department of Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
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25
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Cuyàs E, Fernández-Arroyo S, Joven J, Menendez JA. Metformin targets histone acetylation in cancer-prone epithelial cells. Cell Cycle 2016; 15:3355-3361. [PMID: 27792453 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2016.1249547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The usage of metabolic intermediates as substrates for chromatin-modifying enzymes provides a direct link between the metabolic state of the cell and epigenetics. Because this metabolism-epigenetics axis can regulate not only normal but also diseased states, it is reasonable to suggest that manipulating the epigenome via metabolic interventions may improve the clinical manifestation of age-related diseases including cancer. Using a model of BRCA1 haploinsufficiency-driven accelerated geroncogenesis, we recently tested the hypothesis that: 1.) metabolic rewiring of the mitochondrial biosynthetic nodes that overproduce epigenetic metabolites such as acetyl-CoA should promote cancer-related acetylation of histone H3 marks; 2.) metformin-induced restriction of mitochondrial biosynthetic capacity should manifest in the epigenetic regulation of histone acetylation. We now provide one of the first examples of how metformin-driven metabolic shifts such as reduction of the 2-carbon epigenetic substrate acetyl-CoA is sufficient to correct specific histone H3 acetylation marks in cancer-prone human epithelial cells. The ability of metformin to regulate mitonuclear communication and modulate the epigenetic landscape in genomically unstable pre-cancerous cells might guide the development of new metabolo-epigenetic strategies for cancer prevention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Cuyàs
- a ProCURE (Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance), Metabolism & Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology , Girona , Catalonia , Spain.,b Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) , Girona , Catalonia , Spain
| | - Salvador Fernández-Arroyo
- c Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain, The Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia , Tarragona , Spain
| | - Jorge Joven
- c Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain, The Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia , Tarragona , Spain
| | - Javier A Menendez
- a ProCURE (Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance), Metabolism & Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology , Girona , Catalonia , Spain.,b Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) , Girona , Catalonia , Spain
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26
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Menendez JA, Martin-Castillo B, Joven J. Metformin and cancer: Quo vadis et cui bono? Oncotarget 2016; 7:54096-54101. [PMID: 27356748 PMCID: PMC5342329 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
How many lives have already been saved by the anti-cancer drug metformin? Inadvertently perhaps, among the millions of type 2 diabetics with occult or known cancers and who have been prescribed metformin since the 1950s, thousands may have benefited from the anticancer properties of this first-line pharmacotherapy. Quo vadis? Now, researchers aim to move metformin from a non-targeted stage of cancer therapy that has been mostly developed retrospectively and empirically into a targeted therapy by following a biological rationale and a predefined mechanism of action. But, who might benefit from metformin? Cui bono? Because metformin is on the leading edge of a new generation of cancer metabolism-targeted therapies, perhaps it is the right time to provide solutions to the challenges that metformin and other onco-biguanides will face in the coming years before becoming incorporated into the therapeutic armamentarium against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier A. Menendez
- Metabolism and Cancer Group, ProCURE (Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
- Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Begoña Martin-Castillo
- Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Catalonia, Spain
- Unit of Clinical Research, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jorge Joven
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia, Reus, Spain
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